LP Salsa cowbells?

[mako]

G'Day Everybody
I enjoy the reading, and all of it good, On the topic of cowbell, striking the cowbell: I having a hard time with striking the cowbell and reproducing the sounds.....I notice with Tito Puente, when he play it looked like he was holding down the stick on the bell like muffling a bit, applying pressure down after it,???? also I see the neck being used, and the tips, also areas of hitting, all the way to the back , middle mouth, I know they all produce a different, but the sound, it the sound quality ??? of the sound, I'm looking for that sound,
any help is appreciated
Mako

[Whopbamboom]

One piece of advise, contrary to major brands, not all JCR bells sound alike

Neither do the major factory-made brands! I have two LP "Rock Ridge Rider" bells that happen to sound VERY different from each other!

The only thing a guy can do is to buy and try, and sell back off what's not suitable.

[Raymond]

Couple of comments here on this post that was revived"

Various things affect how a cowbell sounds, the stick or beater you are using and the way you hit them.

Regarding timbale bells, there are people who hit them in the edge close to the holder and others in the middle or some close to the mouth. Others play the edge of the bell facing you, other toward the middle, etc, etc. It depends on your style of playing and the sound you are looking for. Of course, this will affect how the bell sounds. The stick or beater is a no brainer because is obvious. You have to find "your place' in the bell. (Believe, the same with bongo cowbell, not everybody plays them the same).

Some people will tell you there is a right way to hit them but I sort of disagree because depends on what you want and how you do it as long as you play the right patterns and you get the sound.

Yeah, Tito P had a habit to play them sometimes close to the mouth and sometimes I saw him playing in the middle, etc, etc. Sometimes it was show. There is no right way as long as you get that "high pitch" sound like a timbale bell is supposed to sound). Be aware that overtones are something that affect how are you going to play it sometimes.

If you don't get the sound of Tito P is probably the pitch of the bell and you have to realize that you might have a different style or you need to practice. (Tito used and LP Prestige Bell that sound OK. Very high pitch and clear with a little ring. I've heard the sound has changed in them).

Well, regarding the comment about mass produced....I still stick to the fact that those mass produced bells in a series or models tend to sound alike all the time and that is their intention. If sometimes it doesn't happen is an exception and not the norm. Once you heard how a Pearl Mambo Bell or LP Salsa Uptown Bell sounds, 99% of the time you could buy with no fear that you will get the same sound when you buy another one. (Of course, a "broken in " bell will not sound alike like a new one without being broken in. For those without the experience, all bells need to be played to achieve their peak sound. That is what we call "broken in". The same is applicable to heads).

I forgot...remember companies tend to make changes in materials, in the way the manufacture to improve, lower costs and all those things affect how certain models of any instrument change in their sound. Sometimes they live it without changes through out time. Sometimes they did not. (Example: Look at all the Tito Puente timbales...they have made three different models or generations in LP...they all sound different and is the same name and model...they just make changes in the thickness, style, etc, etc.)

Saludos!



Edited By Raymond on 1188309247

[Isaac]

For personalized selection of a JCR Bell,
please contact me,
Isaac of JCR Percussion..

funkytradition@yahoo.com
(732) 236-8148

[caballoballo]

Saludos,for me and just me as a Bongó player IMHO the JCR medium pitch is the best 1, it cuts thru the band while playing outside or inside. The other one I like is the JCR medium low. I carry both of them in my gig case.Those two bells work fine but acoustics varies from club to club,sometimes you would like one better than the other depending the club where you are playing at the moment. Also I agreed with Raymond about the effect that the beater has on the bell sound.



Edited By caballoballo on 1188326312

[Mike]

Yep, I also find the hand-held JCR medium pitch bell is a fantastic bongo bell and yes,

the effect that the beater has on the bell sound

is profound, but this bell has an incredible sound with any beater. BTW I use an old Afro beater (made of beech or s.th.) for quieter acoustic settings whereas for louder parts I take a little hammer shafts (ash, 10" long, 1/2" diameter) and they´re cool: they hit hard and direct and they are not heavy. Even the shape fits the hand well.
I know some prefer a beater bigger in diameter, but my personal taste is like that.



Edited By Mike on 1188328700

[Whopbamboom]

Mike, what exactly do you mean when you say "hammer shaft"? You say it's 1/2" diameter. Is this a hammer handle that's been turned into a dowel on a lathe??

[Mike]

Oh, sorry, but my technical English is not good enough, well, it´s a handle right out of the shop. I did not lathe it any further myself. It´s a handle you use for lighter-weight hammers (up to 100g). Take a look at the pic:



Edited By Mike on 1188333201

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... 010700.JPG

[Mike]

BTW it´s not the"v-sign" at the bottom of the handle :;): :laugh:

But maybe it is a good idea to shorten and lathe the handle further.



Edited By Mike on 1188332959

[Whopbamboom]

Ah, OK-- it's just a small hammer handle. Like for 2-oz ball-peen.

I think here in the U.S. most hammer handles might be hickory, or at least they used to be.

[mako]

Thanks Raymond, and everybody else, thanks